Life Archives • Page 23 of 26 • diy mama

by Shelly on May 8, 2014 6 Comments

Top Disney Attractions for Kids-EPCOT

We’re back again in EPCOT to go over our favorite attractions for kids!! EPCOT is pretty awesome because everything that’s awesome for adults is also awesome for kids (unless there’s a height requirement like Test Track or Soarin’…probably wouldn’t want to take your 6mo old on those anyways.)

First thing you ALWAYS do once you enter a park is take a picture. ALWAYS take a picture at the very entrance of the park with it’s icon (castle, hat, tree, ball) in the background…otherwise you’ll forget and they’re hard to photograph at night…especially if your kids are sleeping! By the second click of your camera, your kids will be sprinting to the giant geodesic sphere (new word for the day.) Why not start there first?! Spaceship Earth is a bit long for kids with short attention spans but it’s air conditioned and there’s an interactive screen that they’ll want to play with.

First Fastpass you’ll want to get is Soarin’. If you ever have one kid who’s wanting to go on a ride but the other doesn’t, you can do a Rider Switch. Living with the Land is also in The Land and is really cool for kids learning about growing plants. An area that ALL kids go bonkers over is Living with the Seas with Nemo and Friends! There’s opportunities to feed a manatee, learn about sharks, swim with Nemo, and talk to Crush at Turtle Talk!

We stop at Soarin’ before we head over to Test Track. Test Track is the only other ride that you’d really need to get a Fastpass for in EPCOT if you wanted to plan ahead. At this point I’d recommend to go to Mission: SPACE but I got motion sickness from it so I don’t go on it anymore. I know a lot of people that like it though! If your kids know what the moon walk is, you should probably take them to see Captain EO! Figment is also over by Captain EO but it’s right up there with Stitch’s Great Escape for me…terrible (which is sad because I liked it as a kid before it changed!) A TON of time can be spent at Innovations East and West. They’re designed for kids to learn more about technology, recycling, storm safety, fire safety, saving money and going green! There are also TONS of the newest Disney video games set up for play!

The second half of EPCOT is the World Showcase where they feature culture and cuisine from 11 countries. If your kids know Perry from Phineas & Ferb or just LOVE tasks and treasure hunts, you must get in on the Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure! Super cute and always changing! Really great activity to keep the kids interested throughout the entire showcase. There are also Kidcot Fun Stops in all of the countries which have little activities for the kids.

Every country has either a ride, gallery or act that you can watch. You will have to ask your kids what sounds most interesting to them because I think all of them are worth checking out. Especially the acts! If you don’t have a full day for the World Showcase, you won’t be able to get through every movie, gallery and act with children. Some of the acts kids enjoy most are the Jeweled Dragons in China,, Sergio the juggler in Italy, the Taiko drummers in Japan, Mo’Rockin and the belly dancer in Morocco, Brittish Revolution in the UK and OffKilter in Canada. Along the way if you want to ride the Maelstrom in Norway or eat at the Biergarten in Germany to watch the Oktoberfest Musikantan those are both very kid (and adult) worthy!

In addition to ALLLL of that, there are characters in the World Showcase that aren’t seen in some of the other parks. You can get showtimes for the acts and characters at your resort (or entrance to the park) to plan out who/what you want to see ahead of time..which I STRONGLY suggest. I always suggest to people (with or without kids) to go at the park’s opening, got to the hotel for a nap at lunch time and stay until closing. You will get a lot more accomplished with happy kids (and adults!) You also don’t want to miss the fireworks show at the end of the night. At EPCOT it’s called Illuminations: Reflections of earth and has fireworks, lasers and fire! Every kid’s dream! If they don’t like the loud noises of fireworks you could try bringing headphones or earplugs.

See anything I missed?? Did I not mention one of your kid’s all-time favorite attractions of EPCOT? Let me know because I don’t want to be missing out (or missing out on telling others!) Next week we’re headed to Hollywood Studios to check out the top attractions for adults! I hope everyone has a great Mother’s Day weekend! Mother’s day in Disney would be quite the gift (although it’s super busy right now…so maybe not!)

by Shelly on May 7, 2014 9 Comments

What’s Going On?

Currently, I’m in the middle of 4 projects, so I don’t have a weekly DiY post for you all this week. I’ve also been really focusing on enjoying nature, my baby and myself this week. I’ve unplugged and it’s going way better than expected! I’ve really taken advantage of this nice weather to show Sophie the birds, bugs and flowers and watch all the kids skateboarding, playing tennis and basketball at the park. My brain is still going 100 miles/minute at the end of the night though. It helps me to just write a ton of it down (even if it’s silly stuff that I already know like ‘clean kitchen tomorrow, throw in load of laundry’).

Last night’s ramblings encouraged me to post about ‘what’s going on’ in my life right now. I am excited about doing these kinda posts every few months to let you guys in on the cool happenings I find on the internets, let my family know what I’m doing while the lil bean naps and also for myself. I know I’ll be a big blog some day in the (hopefully not so) far future and I am making a promise to always share these kind of posts. I feel it helps us relate to one another and hopefully makes communication easier for us!

First up, A Beautiful Mess launched their Blog Life e-course, of which, I just bought last night as my Mother’s Day Gift and will be starting on as soon as I post this! I also took their Use Your Stash $8 quick course on using scrap booking supplies. I have SO many and it’s my lease favorite thing to organize so I’ve decided to use at least half of it and keep my stash at that amount from now on. Some of the items that she discussed made me actually want to go out and buy them though b/c I’d never heard of them (3×4 cards and small embellishments like wood veneer shapes and buttons!) I’d say it was a great $8 spent because it motivated me to get 5 more pages done in Soph’s smash book!

I’ve also been attempting to get through a 5k program at the Y. Thankfully, I have some neighbor girlies that help motivate me to go at 5a, otherwise, no lbs would be lost. I just want to get to a point where I don’t feel achy from everyday movement. I also don’t want to feel bad about my body when I’m pushing Soph in public saying ‘here’s why I’m big…this isn’t the real me.’ That’s just an excuse and I know she’s not the reason I’m not in the body I’m comfortable with. ‘People’ (who are these ‘people’?) say that it takes 9mo to make a baby so it will take 9mo to get back to your normal body. For some, it takes less, I feel for most, it takes more and I’m learning to be ok with that.

I’m also very excited for this weekend because it will be my first Mother’s Day! I’m not sure what my daughter (husband) has planned for me but we have the entire weekend to ourselves to do (or not do) as we please! Fingers crossed for breakfast in bed! We’re supposed to get nice weather, so I’m thinking some good park & deck time will be logged. Hopefully at least nicer than last weekend when we had a tree planted in our park for Soph. She was not happy.

Yes, I’m the dork that gets this excited about planting trees (especially when they’re free!) Our park district lets you choose where and what type of tree will be planted and watch it grow along with your little ones. We chose a Fiesta Red Maple tree and had it planted in the neighborhood park in hopes it’ll provide a ton of shade for future picnics.

So that’s about all I’m up to in my little area of the universe! Oh, I also helped my sister move into their new house and I’m super excited for their new life there! Who else got the Blog Life course?! What’s your favorite thing to do for Mother’s Day? I’m pretty excited about keeping it chill and enjoying time with my family. I hope that never changes.

by Shelly on May 5, 2014 8 Comments

Look Up

I saw an awesome video last night, as my husband and I lay, side by side in bed, looking at our phones. It’s the norm for us. To wind down at the end of the night, sometimes reading a book, but mostly catching up on social media. What is ‘catching up on social media’ anyways? ‘Social media’ is utterly endless. We could literally spend our whole lives only reading social media sites. Today, I chose not to. I am stepping away from my phone and Looking Up. Since I am a blogger, I will still be in the know, but I will reserve my social media and blogging time to my computer only. I’ve deleted all social media apps, other than Instagram, in order to keep myself from looking at my phone while I’m bored. I left Instagram because it inspires me to get out and see the world. Take photos. Be a living person.

I noticed myself looking at my phone while I waited for a bottle to warm, feeding my baby, as a distraction from writing, sitting down to dinner with my husband and even when out, surrounded by friends. Unacceptable. It is the norm for so many people and I encourage, if this is you, to step away and look up. Try it for one week and see what you’ve been missing. You’re unlikely to go back.

This is the video that I saw last night, that really hammered this common sense into my head. It’s called Look Up by Gary Turk. If you haven’t seen it, please give yourself a break and listen to his words.

The part that made me tear up was in reference to my daughter. I don’t want to miss out on any single chance to participate in her life because of my phone. I want her to have the same attention and outdoor playing that I had growing up. That’s not to say we’re going to exclude her or us from all technology but there’s a time and place to be plugged in.

‘We’re surrounded by children who, since they were born, have watched us living like robots, think it’s the norm.

It’s not very likely, you’ll make ‘World’s Greatest Dad’, if you can’t entertain a child without using an iPad.

When I was a child, I’d never be home. I’d be out with my friends, on our bikes we would roam. I’d wear holes in my trainers, and graze up my knees, building a clubhouse high in the trees.

Now the park’s so quiet, it gives me a chill.

I see no children outside and the swing’s hanging still.

There’s no skipping and hopscotch, no church and no steeple, we’re a generation of idiots, smart phones and dumb people.’

Thoughts?

by Shelly on May 1, 2014 8 Comments

Disney Attractions for Adults-EPCOT

EPCOT is my second favorite place to hang out when we go to Disney. It’s the first place I recommend other people to go if they don’t have small children. It’s AMAZING and you can easily spend open to close there and still not see everything (especially if it’s busy season.) The main reason I recommend EPCOT is for the World Showcase but I’m going to go over my favorite attractions in all of EPCOT.

If you need some music to get you in the mood, here ya go! 47 minutes of the wonderful sounds of EPCOT! Just a warning…it gets pretty…interesting at minute 20.

Now I’m ready to sprint through the gates! I don’t know about you, but I always feel like running once I get through the gates of the parks. No? Ok, just me then. First stop, once we get to EPCOT, is Spaceship Earth! I like it more since they did the update a few years back. It’s a classic that sets the tone and gets us excited to be in this park!

Next, we head to The Land to get a Fastpass for Soarin’. They can sell out and we don’t want to be forced into waiting in that line but it’s so worth it to smell those orange groves! I always have to go on Living with the Land. It’s different every time we go because they’re always growing a variety of fruits and vegetables. I’d love to go on the behind the scenes tour of their facility someday. After getting inspired to grow a garden, we head to chat it up with Crush at Turtle Talk in The Seas with Nemo and Friends. We also always stop there to learn about sharks with Bruce and feed the manatees. Now is a good time to remind you that I never go with kids. This is fun as an adult!

We stop at Soarin’ before we head over to Test Track. Test Track is the only other ride that you’d really need to get a Fastpass for in EPCOT if you wanted to plan ahead. At this point I’d recommend to go to Mission: SPACE but I got motion sickness from it so I don’t go on it anymore. I know a lot of people that like it though! We usually walk through one of the Innovations buildings just to see if anything is new but it’s mostly for kids. Every few years we’ll go to the Smart Home that they have to show the latest technology for your home. If you’re a Michael Jackson fan or had gone to Disney growing up, you have to stop at Captain EO!

NOW for my second favorite part of Disney World (after the Castle). World Showcase!!! I can, and do, spend an entire day just at the showcase. Every single country has something interesting to do, see or eat and it’s nice to take it slow to take it all in. We usually start in Mexico and work our way around the world watching shows and eating…everything. 😉 I’ll save the food suggestions for another post. This area is also where you can meet some of the Prince and Princesses who aren’t in Magic Kingdom.

The Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico is pretty cute but I’d recommend just going into the pyramid. It’s set up like a bazaar and they often have a mariachi band playing inside. Norway is next where you HAVE to go on the Maelstrom. It still scares me and I don’t think it’s supposed to be scary. China is next where we always watch the Jeweled Dragon Acrobats.

The Biergarten restaurant in Germany has a very fun Oktoberfest Musikantan but you have to eat in the restaurant to see the show (which we do every time we go). Italy has a super awesome juggler named Sergio who is super talented and funny! Italy also has some great shopping. If you like a cappella singing, you should definitely stop in America to see Voices of Liberty. The acoustics in the room they sing in are amazing.

Japan has super huge, loud Taiko drummers that are a must see! They also have a fun store where you can choose a clam and buy the pearl to be put into jewelry! My favorite part of Japan is Miyuki who molds liquid candy into animals. We dance into Morocco to see MoRockin and the belly dancer. She actually encouraged me to take two belly dancing courses in town because I loved watching her dance and I wanted to get a skirt like hers (as well as her stomach). 😉 We head over to France for some fragrance and jewelry shopping.

I really enjoy the UK and Canada, which is why I leave them for last. I’ve always loved the bands in the UK. Brittish Invasion first and now Brittish Revolution. The music is always so happy and I usually know all the songs. They encourage singing and dancing and it’s always a good time. This last time we were there it started pouring so we stepped into the Rose & Crown for a drink. The Hat Lady was performing and was hilarious. Unfortunately, she stopped performing there last year and I’m not sure what is there now. Off Kilter is in Canada and they’re my very favorite thing to see in the World Showcase. I even have their CDs. They’ve been performing there since I worked there in 06′ and are super nice guys and great performers.

Last, but certainly not least, you must stay for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. It’s an awesome nighttime show with fireworks, great music and lasers! You can see it from any country but will want to get a spot against the lake early if you’ve never seen it. Everything at EPCOT is worth seeing if you have enough time. The things I’ve mentioned are my favorite things to see and do! What’s your favorite attraction at EPCOT? Anything you love that I left out? Have you seen the show that’s replaced The Hat Lady? I’m going to go watch Illuminations on YouTube now… who’s with me?!

by Shelly on April 23, 2014 6 Comments

Magic Kingdom Attractions for Kids

This is the second post of my Disney Attractions series and it is going to be all about the top Disney attractions for kids at the Magic Kingdom (in my opinion.) I’ll go through the attractions according to how I go through the park, again, rather than my favorites. These attractions are geared towards young kids but can still be fun for the adults riding with them. 🙂 Again, if you have any questions regarding anything Disney, don’t be shy, ask away!

When we go to the Magic Kingdom we always take the same route (the same one described here.) If you are a kid, there’s nothing better than feeling like you’re the center of attention. Disney is GREAT for making kids feel special! The Harmony Barber Shop is a great first stop in making your kids feel like the main attraction! You can also check out The Pirates League or the Bippidi Bobbidi Boutique for an even more unique experience (but with more attention comes a bigger price tag.)

I’m not going to mention any character meet and greets in this section. All of them are awesome! The characters and princesses are very attentive and give kids plenty of time to talk. First stop–Adventureland! The Magic Carpets of Aladdin are essentially the Dumbo ride but you can ride with 4 people rather than 2. The Jungle Cruise is a great ride for kids to explore nature from a boat and spot their favorite animals. The tour guides say ‘punny’ jokes throughout the ride to keep the adults engaged and the kids laughing. Pirates of the Caribbean is a classic that kids will recognize from the movies. It is dark though, so beware if you have children who are not fond of dark rides.

‘Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me…’ sorry…that song ALWAYS gets stuck in my head! After Pirates we head to Frontierland where we get a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and go ride Splash Mountain while we wait. There’s a high chance that your kids will get wet on this ride, along with any cell phones or cameras that are not in a ziplock bag. We always ride this ride early so we have time to dry off throughout the hot day. If you don’t want to get wet you can always wear a poncho. 😉 I also think Tom Sawyer Island is really fun for kids to run around and explore. There is no longer a hidden paint brush, but if you mention that you looked for it to the raft captain, they’ll likely give you fastpasses for your family. 😉

*Tip: Remember to measure your kids’ height and check the requirements before waiting in line to take them on rides. Nothing worse than a disappointed child who had their hopes up to ride a certain ride. Also, if you have a smart phone, be sure to get the Disney Experience Mobile App. This mobile app tells you the wait times for attractions throughout the parks as well as allows you to make dining reservations.

The next must-do attraction is the only attraction we like in Liberty Square- Haunted Mansion. Going through the ‘fun que’ will actually put you behind by a couple people but we always go through it anyway! The Haunted Mansion is a scary ride for children who are afraid of the dark, however, most children think it’s a ‘funny scary.’ Congratulations b/c by this time you’ve survived taking your kids through almost half of the park!

Now is where the REAL fun for your kiddies begins! 😉 Since the Haunted Mansion is right next to Fantasyland, we head on over to Peter Pan’s Flight to get a Fastpass and go ride It’s a Small World while we wait. It’s a Small World is KEY in a successful break for your kids b/c it has air conditioning, has small lines, is full of glitter and lets you rest your feet!! All great things in my book. Once we wave adios at Small World we hit up Peter Pan (ALWAYS get a Fastpass for this ride or you WILL be let down. The line is deceptive because it swirls all over the place.) After Pan we go watch Mickey’s PhilharMagic which is one of my FAVORITE attractions in all of Magic Kingdom. Please do not overlook this attraction. Your kids will love it!

After singing along with Jasmine we go to my VERY favorite spot of Disney– THE Castle! It’s a great time to get up close and personal with the castle for a picture break! Disney has PhotoPass cast members that will take your picture with their DSLR cameras and you can buy them online once you get home. You can also ask them to use your camera to take a picture to make sure Mom AND Dad get in the shot as well! Don’t forget to bring change for the wishing well. 😉

Once we get all of the pictures of ~~our home~~ the Castle, we ride Prince Charming Regal Carousel because there’s never a line, I like running around until I find the perfect horse and I love the music. Every kid[at heart] loves the carousel. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a MUST, not only because I worked that ride, but because it’s SO DARN CUTE! The line is really fun too! After eating cake with Pooh and his friends we always take a spin in Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups! Be sure to plan your meals accordingly so you’re not full when you go on this ride. This is not a suggestion…I’m telling you this as a friend. 😉

NEW FANTASYLAAAAAAND! THIS is a whole new section of the park that they’ve expanded over the past few years. New Fantasyland has taken the place of Toontown and is completely new, other than The Barnstormer (which I recommend b/c it’s a gateway roller coaster…not quite as big as Thunder or Space but bigger than the normal kiddie coasters.) If you get a Fastpass in this area, get it for Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid or (if it’s open) Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Journey of the Little Mermaid is a very similar ride to Winnie the Pooh so if you’re short on time, choose your kid’s favorite character.

The top attraction that I would recommend for kids to see in New Fantasyland is Enchanted Tales with Belle. SO CUTE! Parents, if your kids like Beauty and the Beast in the slightest, you won’t regret this. The classic ride– Dumbo the Flying Elephant is now back in this area and is twice as big with two sets of flying elephants. The ‘line’ is also a fun place to let your kids run around at the circus playground while you wait. Another place to let your kids burn off some energy or cool off is Casey Jr. Splash N’ Soak Station.

Honestly, everything in Tomorrowland is awesome! 😉 I’m such a fan! If there’s one I wouldn’t do (have never and will never do) it’s Stitch’s Great Escape. I’m not a fan of Stitch and I’ve heard he burps at one point and it smells like coney dogs. 🙁 Sorry if that just grossed you out…I just wanted to prepare you! Astro Orbiter is the same concept as Dumbo and Aladdin but up reeeeally high. Kinda cool to do at night but not worth the wait if your kids didn’t like one of the other two rides. I am a fan of all the other rides in Tomorrowland but if you’re running low on time I would recommend three above the rest. Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor, Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Monster’s is a comedy show put on my Mike and will have both you and your kids belly laughing! Space is a classic but is dark, fast and usually has a long line so make sure it’s the right choice for your family before getting in line (or getting a Fastpass.) Buzz is dark but very fun for little kids because they get to be in control of a laser gun to shoot Zorg! Buzz is always very crowded so if you’re to get a Fastpass for anywhere in Tomorrowland, this is where you should get one.

I had to check back at the list of Magic Kingdom attractions because I felt like I just named every single one of them! I didn’t…but I came close! They’re all so good and I wanted to mention all of the rides above b/c you’ll better be able to decide what your kids like and weed out the rides that are too big for them right now. Also, if you don’t think Disney World is worth the money or vacation time…you’re very wrong. It’s a place filled with magic and wonder for people of ALL ages. Seriously, it makes me tear up just thinking about how many people have felt special at the Happiest Place on Earth!

I won’t be doing a post on character meet n’ greets so if that is something you’re interested in, send me a message. 🙂 Next week’s series post will cover Attractions for Adults at EPCOT! What are your kid’s favorite rides? Any they love that I missed? Anyone else feel like a kid when they go to Magic Kingdom? *Tip: wearing Mickey ears WILL make you happier while at Disney. 😉

Top Disney Attractions for Kids-EPCOT

Disney Attractions for Adults-EPCOT

Magic Kingdom Attractions for Kids

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